'They are politicians, not influencers': Younger MPs jostle to win over voters on social media
With social media now ubiquitous among politicians worldwide — often in pursuit of the much-coveted youth demographic — one might expect younger, newer Members of Parliament (MPs) to connect more naturally with Singapore's youths online.
Instead, it is senior ministers decades older who continue to draw the strongest engagement, with hundreds of thousands of followers.
Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, 73, is arguably the most popular Singaporean politician online.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, 53, can often be seen strumming his guitar and engaging with youths through more personal content. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, 56, also regularly gains up to 100,000 views for each post, blending humour with public policy announcements.
Analysts say this highlights a key reality of political communication on social media: effectiveness is less about age, and more about credibility, authenticity and strategy.
Younger MPs playing catch-up
The newest batch of lawmakers, elected in 2025, have certainly thrown themselves into social media with gusto, trying everything from Gen Z-style 0.5 selfies and TikTok dance challenges to workout trends, and even sharing their Spotify Wrapped results.
Yet both ruling party and opposition figures appear reluctant to openly discuss their social media strategies.
Of the 12 first-term lawmakers Stomp approached, only two agreed to speak on the record: the People's Action Party's (PAP) Shawn Loh, 38, and the Workers' Party's (WP) Fadli Fawzi, 45. Both stressed the importance of authenticity, and that face-to-face engagement takes priority over social media.
Mr Loh said that social media has made political life more accessible to his four children, aged four to 12, who often have a "good laugh" at his posts.
The first-term MP for Jalan Besar GRC added that the more his wife finds his content "cringe-y", the more likely it is to go viral.
This might explain the mixed response to a recent clip in which he and his team of volunteers attempted to dance to the chorus of Taylor Swift's The Fate of Ophelia.
Filmed after a late-night Meet-the-People session, it has garnered over 26,000 views on TikTok and more than 860 likes on Instagram, where he has 1,518 and 4,937 followers respectively.
Comments in response ranged from "nice energy" to "hard watch".
Social media 'isn't stressful'
According to Mr Loh, social media serves as a "helpful commentary platform" to connect with residents he may not meet in person. He works with a team of social media volunteers who propose ideas such as trend-jacking community updates, including announcements about new infrastructure and bus routes.
Trend jacking sees the use of popular trends or topics in marketing to promote visibility and relevance. One example is the "you better be nice" TikTok trend, which playfully "threatens" viewers into hyping up their loved ones.
In a clip uploaded on Aug 31, a woman with a stern expression says: "My Grassroots adviser is gonna show you the new bus route, so you better say something nice," before Mr Loh appears to announce amendments to bus service 140.
"Social media isn't stressful," said Mr Loh, explaining that it is an extension of who he is and not a portrayal of someone that he is trying to be. "As I often tell my team, it's important to take our work seriously, but never take ourselves too seriously."
No pressure to 'boost' following and view counts
Mr Fadli, a first-term MP for Aljunied GRC, describes social media as an "informative platform" where he highlights the party's work for residents and the public, and also shares his thoughts on current issues.
"As much as I'm heartened to see the gradual growth in my follower and view counts, I don't necessarily feel the pressure to boost the numbers for its own sake," he said. Mr Fadli currently has 2,693 followers on Instagram and 632 on TikTok.
Like Mr Loh, Mr Fadli relies on volunteers for advice on connecting with younger audiences online and is "always game" to try something new, while hoping his online persona remains an "organic extension or reflection" of who he is.
"I think it's also important to remain true to who you are and be authentic, rather than merely adopting a trend for the sake of chasing view counts," said Mr Fadli, who noted that his most engaging posts tend to be spontaneous, such as one about an unplanned cat rescue during one of his house visits in August.
'They are politicians, not influencers'
Engineer Cindy Lee, a resident in Tanjong Pagar GRC, told Stomp that she is a big fan of Mr Ong's posts. The 24-year-old follows several politicians from both the PAP and WP, mainly to keep up with what they share about their work and their personal views on specific issues.
She said she only watches politicians' TikTok videos if they have a "good hook" — something she feels Mr Ong's content, which she describes as "much more meaningful", often delivers in a way that younger politicians often fail to do.
Ms Lee said she thinks it can be "very patronising" towards younger voters to assume that simply jumping on trending TikTok formats is enough to win over votes. She added that she often avoided content from the PAP's Sengkang GRC team during the 2025 General Election, which she found "very cringe".
There must be "strong messaging" behind the social media posts, she stressed. "They are politicians, not influencers. So I'm not looking out for trends or humour from our politicians."
Avoiding 'propaganda'
At the other end of the age spectrum, retiree Tan Yong Hong, 60, said he occasionally consumes politicians' social media content. He actively avoids posts that feels like "propaganda" but is interested in posts related to issues that affect him, including the GST increase and transport matters.
While younger politicians tend to be "more hype" in their social media use, Mr Tan said he would rather see politicians focus on posting content relevant to people's daily lives, such as the rising cost of living and employment issues.
'Veteran status' in politics transferred to online performance
Communications specialist Dr Saifuddin Ahmed of Nanyang Technological University's Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, told Stomp that younger audiences tend to prioritise "authenticity, clarity, and usefulness" over polished content."
"As they don't have enough time to spend on political matters, they want to understand quickly how an issue affects them without traditional jargon," he said, adding that humour can help only when it feels natural and does not undermine credibility.
Dr Ahmed also emphasised the importance of a clear online persona, noting that without one, social media posts can come across as "random and disconnected."
Communications specialist Dr Carol Soon of the National University of Singapore added that while social media can sometimes level the playing field by increasing the profiles of newer politicians and parties, it also often reinforces realities in the real world.
The strong social media performance of ministers like SM Lee and Mr Ong could be due to their longer and more established track record, noted Dr Soon.
Having spent many years in politics and engaging with the public, senior politicians tend to have a more astute understanding of the issues that resonate with audiences, as well as a communicative approach well-suited to social media, she added.
Resonance and reliability
Dr Soon suggested that new MPs focus on two "Rs" when connecting with younger Singaporeans: resonance and relatability. With the former, politicians should address topics that matter to younger voters, such as jobs, cost of living and social mobility.
Relatability, she added, is a two-way street and politicians can leverage the personality-driven nature of social media to correct perceptions of them being out-of-touch elites.
Dr Ahmed echoed this, saying that new MPs should anchor their content in "real work" rather than personality alone — choosing one or two clear themes and posting consistently within them, instead of trying to cover everything.
He also cautioned against "forced slang" as humour should emerge naturally rather than strategically, or politicians risk turning into a meme.
For Ms Lee, younger politicians need to first establish credibility through more formal platforms while using social media as a complement. "It shouldn't be their foundation."
